Introduction
It is often said that the media and the arts are an accurate reflection of any given community. This is especially true in American pop-culture, where television shows depict the various stereotypes attributed to men and women and the roles they play in society. House, a highly popular medical drama that revolves around Dr. Gregory House and his diagnostic team, is a particularly good example as it represents the true state of the traditional gender roles in American culture today by, both, redefining and reinforcing them over the course of the show.
In "Big Baby," the thirteenth episode of the current season, the show highlights these gender roles by centering on the effects the recent adoption of Rachel has had on Dr.
…show more content…
In Gender Role Behaviors and Attitudes, Aaron Devor sheds light on this stereotype:
Feminine characteristics are thought to be intrinsic to the female facility for childbirth and breast-feeding. Hence, it is popularly believed that the social position of females is biologically mandated to be intertwined with the care of children and a 'natural' dependency on men for the maintenance of mother-child units."
Dr. Cuddy's confusion and fears over raising her adopted daughter indicates a significant shift from this centuries-old stereotype ascribed to women — a radical redefinition of traditional gender roles.
Mr. Sensitive
However, this redefinition is not limited to women alone. Dr. Wilson is perhaps the most diplomatic, sensible, and level-headed character in the entire show as he constantly strives to broker a truce between the clashing personalities of Dr. Cuddy and Dr. House.
In this episode, he reveals his emotional and sensitive side as he attempts to console a tearful Dr. Cuddy who was struggling with maternity. He returns to her house later on in the episode and attempts to cheer her up by bringing Dr. Cuddy an age-enhanced photograph of a teenage Rachel. He tries to get her to understand that the motherly love develops over time. He then admits that the photograph came with the frame and was not Rachel.
Dr. Wilson's genuine
Furthermore, Gender construction is an observable aspect of this movie, especially the message that it shows about gender. Throughout the movie, Baby is constantly fighting for something, whether it be a relationship with Johnny or a friend that she just made, or even with her own father. This movie depicts what it may have been like for a young woman in the 1960s. In the early 1960s, the woman’s movement began to become more evident than previous years. There were sit-ins and “the Pill” became an actual contraceptive. The movie is reflective of the Feminine Mystique, which was one of the more prominent pieces of the women’s movement was published (Sawhney, n.d.). The gender message for females in this movie is apparent, which is to fight for what you want. Baby wanted a relationship with Johnny, she wanted her
However, it can be observed and said that they have always lived up to the image of “housewife” material or as a constant collaborator of a male role, instead of being the main character. According to Elasmar, M., Hasegawa, K., & Brain, M, on their essay the portrayal of women in the US prime television, “TV has portrayed females in many ways, studies have shown that women have been underrepresented and stereotyped in TV programs.” Women have been living under that invisible stereotype that has cornered them and does not allow them to grow professionally or socially. TV has been the master-mind behind a stereotype that has left women without the chance of demanding equality or credibility on shows, a stereotype that will always be mentioned and enforce if TV shows do not start producing real-world programs based on true stories or true qualities of
In contemporary film women's roles in films have varied quiet considerably between genres, geographical placement, and between
The main setting of Trans-Sister Radio is within the small town of Bartlett, Vermont. The primary focus is set on Dana, a chromosomal-male college professor who is in the process of transitioning into the female gender. As a male, Dana is well-received by her community, even though she is perceived as strange and effeminate. She forms normal romantic relationships with women, has a fulfilling career, and is admired by those surrounding her, however she still feels incomplete. Unfortunately, what is missing from Dana is not externally noticeable, it is intrinsic happiness. From a young age, Dana suffered from gender dysphoria, a mental disorder that causes individuals to experience serious distress due to frustration with the sex and gender assigned at birth (APA, 2013). To alleviate the traumatic pain that has burdened her for decades, Dana makes the bold decision to partake in complete gender reassignment surgery. Trans-Sister Radio challenges the prototypical ideologies of character growth, morality, and relationships through its descriptive insight on transsexuality and thus gender.
In this session, I will discuss the gender roles in my family. The definition of gender role is the degree to which a person adopts the gender-specific behaviors ascribed by his or her culture (Matsumoto, D. R., & Juang 2013, 156). For example, traditional gender roles recommend that males are aggressive, angry, and unemotional. It goes further and explains that the male should leave the home every day to make a living and be the main wage earner. The traditional gender role for the female purpose is to stay at home and care for the children. It explains that the female is to be nurturing, caring, and emotional (Matsumoto, D. R., & Juang 2013, 156). These traditional roles for female and male are the opposite of one another. It is believed that the culture is likely to influence our perception about gender role in a family. In my family, my parents utilize the traditional gender role. Growing up, my father went to work every day and my mother stayed home with me and my sister. I believe my parents were influence by their parents and their culture to be traditional gender role parents. My father explained to me that they chose traditional parenting role because both sides of the family utilized traditional parenting gender roles. I believe my parents felt pressure to obtain the gender roles of the mother staying home with the children while the father worked. However, when my younger sister was old enough to go to school, my mother started to work. It was believed that when
Finally, the author examines how gender personality shapes a woman’s mothering capacities, and thus reproduces the cycle of mothering. The different structures of the oedipal triangle (binary for men, triangular for women) contribute to the formation of gender identity in children. The psychoanalytic object choice also ensures that the heterosexual relationship will result in women mothering and taking on the role of primary caretaker, leading to an asymmetrical organization of parenthood where men are mainly absent or removed. However, male-dominant households ensure that women will remain unfulfilled in the relationship, leading to a desire for a child, and rearing this child in a socially gendered family. In this manner, due to women’s nurturing role and their narcissistic attachment to their daughters, they contribute to the perpetuation of “their own social roles and position in the hierarchy of gender”.
Rachel would like nothing more than to be the new girl. She wants to forget the tragic accident in Chicago. When she moves to Portland, she finds herself having a hard time fitting in. As a biracial teenager, who just lost her family, most would count out Rachel as a contribution to society. Rachel made mistakes along the way, but she had her destination in sight. Grandma tells Rachel that, “You’re gonna go to
Rachel Crosby, an African American woman in the 1950s and 1960s who assumes the role of caretaker, neighborhood icon, and surrogate mother to a young boy, Ruben Santiago, Jr., and the broader community of Lackawanna, New York. In the movie, Rachel Crosby, frequently referred to as “Ms. Rachel”, “Nanny”, or “Momma” and played by S. Epatha Merkerson, runs a rooming house for the destitute. The movie opens with a lively scene of tens of people in their best dress enjoying music, food, and dancing at Ms. Rachel’s house – the heart of the community and apparently the place to be on a Friday night. Within minutes, we are thrust into the full scope of Ms. Rachel’s value and challenge as she attempts to stop a heated brawl between lovers, seeks assistance from her husband Bill (Terrance Howard) who we quickly learn has frequent adulterous encounters, ensure everyone is fed and enjoying the live band, and assist a young couple deliver their first child. It is this child, Ruben Santiago, Jr., born to a Puerto Rican man and African American woman, who narrates the
Sandra Bem’s book, The Lenses of Gender, discusses the three lenses of gender: androcentrism, gender polarization and biological essentialism. The first sense of gender Sandra touches on is androcentrism, which is the idea that men create the standard for society and females do not meet the standard. The most important concept in this reading is the idea that women are naturally given the caregiver role because they bear children. This is important because men are given the responsibility of defending the family and collecting food, “because they were bigger and stronger and also because they did not have their mobility limited by the continuous presence of children” (Bem, 1993, p. 31). The significance of this is that it seems to be the biggest
There was also a relationship that Heidi W. Durrow talked about which involves Nella( Rachel’s mom) and Roger( Rachel’s dad) and this relationship involves a person of color and an individual who is white and in this time period which i believe is placed in the 1980’s
Rachel grew up without having any parents, only a grandma, uncle, and aunt who later passed away. Grandma and Rachel were talking about
Rachel grew up in a house hold where she had to grow up really quick. In her early teenage years she witnesses her mom struggle through abusive relationships with her step dad and other boyfriends that came after. She eventually became an alcoholic. By the time Rachel was 13 year old, she dropped out of school to take the role of the emotional and financial care taker of her mother. Living in her
They believe that they are born a certain way: boy or girl. The biological division is the only distinction between boys and girls and no one can change that, however this is not the way Emily Kane thinks. She argues that this kind of thought process does not help take accountability for the social influences that may impact how a child is gendered and it’s not as clear-cut as it may seem. For example, Emily interviewed a father who expressed pride in his son’s “masculinity”. Jerome took his family to an outdoor plaza where many vultures were flying about four inches above their head.
“I’m LeRoy Berry, Rachel’s other father?” LeRoy pinched the bridge of his nose. “The code word is Mandy Patinkin. But if you want to take her back into the office until Hiram, my partner, can come...”
Within and across different cultures, we can find great consistency in standards of anticipated gender roles. In the United States, like many other countries, males are expected to be independent, assertive, and competitive. Females are expected to be more passive, sensitive, and supportive. For example, when a woman gives birth, she is the one that is expected to stay home and take care of her children while the father goes to work and is the breadwinner for the family. In society, it is more acceptable and common to see the women stay home and take care of the house and children while the husband goes to work instead of the other way around. Stay at home dads are not as common as stay at home moms. However, it is up to the individuals on what they decide as a couple. Because of this, gender appropriate behaviors can be seen because of sex segregation and starting at young ages.